The Outpost at Shute Park Highlights Community Collaboration

The Outpost at Shute Park provided free food to children under the age of eighteen weekly, for nine weeks this summer. As parents and kids gather at Hillsboro's Shute Park, they are greeted with a nutritious lunch, free of charge. Beyond the feeding of Hillsboro's school kids, there are fun activities every weekday, including sports, crafts, and science activities. But this isn't just the work of the Hillsboro School District and its Parks and Recreation department- local churches have served immensely. Sonrise Church, Harvest Community Church, Calvary Lutheran and more can be found in The Outpost's partners.

This year was The Outpost's eighth summer providing meals, which began with 60 lunches a day in 2006. By 2012 they served 2,000 lunches every week! The Outpost highlights the coming together of programs and organizations that cover a wide spectrum of areas. Churches are found serving with Washington County, the City of Hillsboro, and corporate sponsors like Intel and Kaiser Permanente. Sonrise Church employs a food manager to assist with the program, while the Parks and Recreation Department actively seeks churches out for volunteers. What an amazing collaboration that deserves celebration!